Imtiaz Ali on casting Nargis Fakhri in 'Rockstar': ‘Someone out of Ranbir Kapoor’s league’

Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri in Rockstar Pic/Instagram

Imtiaz Ali went all the way to Prague to meet his Heer Kaul for ‘Rockstar' opposite Ranbir Kapoor. Join the director on the latest episode of Mid-day's Sit With Hitlist series as he explains why an Indian girl didn't become his lead and what made him choose Nargis Fakhri, an American instead.

Describing Nargis as the "most beautiful sexiest girl you'll ever see", Imtiaz recalled, "I met her for the first time in Prague. Nargis, strangely, had never been to Prague or the Czech Republic but she had a passport through her mother. So she for some reason was I think in Amsterdam or somewhere, and I had gone to recce for ‘Rockstar' in Prague. And she happened to be just like a one-hour flight from me. And I said, ‘Can you come and meet me in Prague?' She says, ‘Of course, I can because I have the passport. And I have never come here so this is my mother's land'. And then we met in an exotic location."

"The reason I wanted to cast her is because I was thinking of somebody who has that look that can be like basically dil todne ki machine, this girl that you can never you can only aspire for. This girl, who is so high class. Even (out of) Ranbir Kapoor's league. I was thinking that this is the face, this is the body and she did a wonderful performance," added Imtiaz.

'Rockstar' revolves around Janardhan Jakhar, played by Ranbir, a young man from Delhi who dreams of becoming a rockstar like his idol, Jim Morrison. He transforms and adopts the persona of Jordan when he meets Heer Kaul, played by Nargis Fakhri, a free-spirited girl with whom he falls in love. The movie portrays Janardhan's journey as he navigates through love, heartbreak, and fame in pursuit of his musical ambitions. It explores themes of passion, self-discovery, and the sacrifices one makes for their art.

'Rockstar' is renowned for its soulful music composed by AR Rahman, which includes chart-topping songs like 'Sadda Haq' and 'Nadaan Parindey. 'The film received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and music, earning several awards and nominations.